Tacker



Feb. 12,1935. E. H. cRoFooT Er`Al. 1,990,725

' TACKER Filed June 3; 1932 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q 4l j@ 4 56 'if i JNM/WM5,

Feb. 12, 1935. EjH, ROFOQT Er AL 1,990,725

- TACKER Filed June 5, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 2 j A 1 G Patented Feb. l2, 1935 uNi-TED STATES 1,990,725 TACKER Elisha H. Crofoot and Carl E. Hallen, Mount Prospect, Ill., assignors to John B. Crofoot,

Mount Prospect, Ill.

Application June 3, 1932, serial'No.`615,1oo .e

8 Claims.

invention relates to tackers or similar devices used for driving tacksor staples, more particularly for fastening lsheets orfstrips of various kinds, to wood or similarsubstances. One yof the objects of the invention is to provide improved means for operating a tacker, particularly for releasing the hammer of the Vtacker, Another ob ject of Y the invention is to provide means for guiding thetacker alongstrips which are being fastened` to surfaces. Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for guiding the tacker along the edge of boards, such as moldings, when used for driving a row of tacks or staples into the molding or otherboard. Y

, Of lthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the tacker which embodies features of my invention. Figure 2is a somewhat enlarged central sectional'view of the tacker. Figure 3 is an elevation of the lower portion of the tacker, showing the guiding means reversed with regard to Figure 1 vFigure 4 is a fragmental'view of the converse side of -the Vbase portion showing certain friction and release mechanism; Figure 5 isa sectional elevation of one of the guiding means cf the device; Figure 6 is a bottom view of the tackeri and Figure 7 isa plan view of a staple strip. Y

As is well understood, the purpose of the tacker is to drive fastening means o f various kinds into soft material, such as wood, either for riveting objects to the wood cr fastening them to the surface. Our tacker is arranged to cut and feed staplesasthey areused, Y uable when setting a series of staples, usually in rows, in order to fasten wiresor molding vof, various sorts to the surfaces ofthe AWood or other substances. It --is'customary'with tackers to use strips of staple material, .such as is indicated in Fig. '7. The strip is inserted. in the device and each time that the hammer is operated the staple is cut fromV the end of the strip and is thendriven into the board.` .Y y

The devcecomprises a frame 10 torwhichis pivoted an operating handle 11. 'I'he device is grasped by passing the iingers through some convenient opening, such as the opening 12, with the vpalm ofthe handpressing on the handle. As the handle is pressed downwardly, a finger 13 is arranged tor elevate a hammer 14 against the force Aof the springs 15,1one on each sideof the hammer. When the handle reaches a certain position, a trip arm-16 strikes on the frame 10, and the nose 17 of the trip is forced-out from the shoulder 24 of the'nger member. This releases the hammer, and the force of the springs drives and is particularly val-V it down against the end of the projecting strip 18. The4 edge 19 of. the hammer cuts 0E the staple 20 and 'presses it down through the member 21 and into the board 22V, thus fastening the member 21 firmly to the board. e

As the lhandle 11 is released, a spring 23 rotates it upwardly tol the initial position. At the same time, the trip arm 16, which is pivoted by a pivot Y25 to the handle, is rotated upwardly, while Vthe nose 17,'by means of thespring V26, is pressed against the surface 2'7 of the finger 13', until the nose trips over'the` shoulder 24 as indicated.A The device is then in normal position for driving' another staple, and, it is necessary only to force theV handle downward with the hand and the process is repeated. i Y With tackers of this nature, it has been common to have some means of releasing the hammer when it is under the tension of the spring by automaticallyvforcing a nger, corresponding to the nger 13, out from under some portion of the hammer, as the shoulder 28. This we find is objectionable for various reasons, and we prefer to provide means for releasing the hammer without moving relatively the shoulder and ringer, and without removing the linger 13 from the slot or recess 30. In order to accomplish this, we prefer to pivot the finger to the frame 10 by means or" a pivot 31, or in any other suitable manner, so that the end of the nger is at all times in the recess 30. As the handle 11 is forced downwardly to the position indicated inV Fig. 2, the linger' is rotated upwardly as stated, carrying with it the hammer. When `thengermember is released, the finger rotates downwardly with the hammer, and the position of the 'pivot is such that the nger'is never removed from the recess. To release the hammer, We release the linger member as hereinabove described. This prevents any possibility of misplacement of `the linger with reference to the hammer, and substantially eliminates the friction betweenA the hammer and the finger and the consequent wearing tendency, and is otherwise'a more desirable arrangement.

The staple strip l18 is placed in the slot 32, and is fed automatically in the following manner: At each downward stroke of the hammer, a cam shoulder 33 on the hammer forces inwardly a pin 34 against a'. spring 35. .This pin carries with it a linger 36 which is pressed, by a spring 37, downwardly on'the staple stripA 18. As the pin 34 is forcedainwardly, the nger slips inwardly on the strip and grasps another section of the strip. As the hammer is elevated, the pin 34 is allowed to be forced outwardly by the spring, carrying with it the finger 36 and delivering a new staple seotion beneath the hammer for the next operation.

A stop 41 is arranged to prevent the backward movement of the strip 18 as the finger 36 is moved backwardly; the end of the stop coacts with the sections of the strip to prevent such backward movement. This stop is forced downwardly on the strip, by means of a spring 42, and the stop can be elevated from the strip by pressing downwardly on the outer end of a release strip 40. The inner end of the release strip elevates the stop and, in this manner, the staple strip is released and may be removed.

It is common with tackers of this nature to fasten strips, such as sections of electric wires, to some board surface. For this purpose,v and particularly for fastening to the board pairs of electric wires, we provide special guiding means. These wire strips 29 (Fig. 4) are formed with a projecting flange 38 and in operation the tacker is appliedv to the strip with the flange in the slot 39.` A finger 43 is forced against the flange by means of a spring 44, preferably one on each'side of the base of the tacker. This presses the flange firmly against the nose 45y of the tacker.

In operation, the strip is placed where desired, the tacker is applied to the strip, and a staple is driven in, thus fastening the strip to the wood.

The tacker is then slid along with the flange in Athe slot 39 to the position desired for another staple. In this Way, staples can be driven continuously very rapidly until the entire strip is fas# tened to the board.y In order to pull the strip taut, so as to force it to lie straight on the board, the springs 44 may be adjusted so as to press the finger 43 as firmly against the flange as may be desired. In this way, the friction produced will be sufficient to keep the strip straight or even stretched, in cases where it may be desired.

However, in order to more freely slipl the tacker along on thev ange, the compression of the springs may be reduced by the operator by pressing on a lever arm 49. The other arm 46 of the lever is operatively associated with the casing 47 which carries the finger43, so as to force the casing and finger away from the flange. In thisV manner the compression of the springs may be reduced as much as maybe desired, and the operator can very quickly apply the device to the strip or remove it or slip it. along. The compression of the springs may be adjusted by means of the screw 48 which is threaded into the flange 50.

It is also desirable to `have means for guiding the tacker along the edge of boards or the like where strips of any kind are to be fastened to the board. For thispurpose we provide the rolls 55 which are xed to a plate 56v adjustably mounted on the base of the tacker. In operation these rolls are placed on theedge of the board, with the adjustmentrsuch that the nose 45 of the tacker is properly spaced from the edge. The operator then slides the tacker along on the edge of the board, driving staples Whenever dee sired, merely vmaintaining the rolls onvthe edge of the board. In this way one. can very readily operate the device for a row of Vstaples the exact distance from the. edge. of the Aboard that may be desired.

The clamp 581 by means of a thumb nut 60 providesmeans for clamping the plateY 56 firmly tov the base 61 of the tacker, The. flanges 62 being positioned in the slots 630i' the base. Also the rolls 55 may be adjustably spaced from the plate 56, as the shank 64 is threaded into the plate 56, and is locked therein by the nut 65.

Mounted on the upper end of the hammer is an enlargement, such as the collar 70, and encircling the hammer shank is a buffer spring 'l1 between the collar and the pin 72 to which the springs 15 are connected. When the hammer is forced downwardly', the spring 'n comes in contact with the hammer guide 73 just before the hammer strikes the strip 21 or other article which is being fastened. This prevents the objectionable pounding which would result if no buffer' spring were used.

Enclosing this buffer spring 71 and also the forcing springs 15 is a housing 75 which thus encloses all of the moving parts protecting them from injury by dust or otherwise, and providing a convenient means forvgrasping the tacker by one hand if desired. The housing is removably mounted on the frame, and may be detachably connected thereto by meansof nuts '76 or otherwise. y

VWe claim asour invention:

1. In a tacker, a frame,A a hammer slidably mounted in the frame, a pivoted member, a shoulder on the hammer, a finger fixed to the member and arranged to press against the shoulder as the member is rotated, pivoted means for rotating the member, and means for releasing the member from the rotating means, said member and rotating meanshaving a common center of rotation. f

2. In a tacker, a frame, a hammer slidably mounted in the frame, a pivoted member, a shoulder on the hammer,v a finger xed to the member and arranged to press against the shoulder as the member is rotated, means'for rotating the member, and means for releasing the member from the rotating means, said rotating means comprising a handle pivoted to the frame coaxial with the pivoted member, and said releasing means comprising a trip pivoted to the handle.

3. In a tacker for tackinga strip having a fiange thereon, a hammer head, a slot beneath the head and adapted to receive the strip ange, means for pressing the flange against one side of the slot, and means for varying the pressure on' the flange, said pressing means comprising a spring, and said varyingY means comprising means for adjusting the force of the spring.

4. In atacker having a hammer head, guide means, said means comprising a pair of rollers mounted on the basey of the tacker, the axes of the roller projecting perpendicularly from the base, and means for adjustably positioning the rollers with reference to the hammer head, said means comprising a plate, said rollers being mounted adjacent one edge of the plate, and said positioning means comprising means for clamping the plate to the base with the said edge either between the hammer and clamping means or on the opposite side ofthe clamping means.

5. In a tacker, a frame, a hammer mounted for vertical movement in the frame, a handle pivoted to the frame, a finger pivoted to the handle and adapted to elevate thehammer as the handle is rotated downwardly, means to prevent relative movement of the handle and the linger, and means to render the latter means inoperative when the handle is rotated downwardly a predetermined distance.

v 6. In a tacker, a frame, a hammer slidably mounted in the frame, resilient means tending to force the hammer in one direction, a pivoted finger arranged when rotated to move the hammer against the spring, means for rotating the nger, and means for releasing the rotating means from the finger, said hammer having a recess therein in which the linger is at all times positioned, and onesurface of the recess coasting with the nger as the nger moves the hammer, said rotating means comprising a handle having a common rotating center with the nger.

'7. In a tacker, a frame, a hammer mounted for vertical movement in the frame, a spring continuously tending to force the hammer downwardly, a handle pivoted to the frame,v a nger pivoted to the handle coaxially therewith and adapted to elevate the hammer as the handle is rotated downwardly, means to prevent relative Y 3 movement of the handle and the finger, and means to render the latter means inoperative when the handle is rotated downwardly a predetermined distance.

` 8. In a tacker, a frame, a hammer slidably mounted in the frame, a handle pivoted to the frame, a member pivoted to the handle, alshoulder on the hammer, a finger fixed to the member and arranged to press against the shoulder as the member is rotated by the handle, and means for releasing the member from the handle as it is rotated.

ELISHA H'. CROFOOT. CARL E. HALLEN. 

